Pisa's Ring Parade celebration begins at noon on a sunny day.

According to custom, people who have gathered in the city's large and small open spaces since early in the morning make all kinds of food on simple stoves that have been set up the day before.

According to a tradition that has been passed down for many years, the Pisan people are not allowed to eat lunch and dinner at home on the day of the Round Road, which is to foreshadow the pain of the Pisan people losing their homes.

Smoke is everywhere in the streets of the city, and people bring the ingredients they have prepared in advance, and then gather around the stoves with their friends, family or acquaintances, and start baking all kinds of food.

The reason why there is only baking is because the weather is very hot now, and many ingredients cannot be stored for a long time, so in order to keep the food as long as possible, people have to abandon those practices that may cause food to spoil, and various soups may be produced during steaming.

The smell of spices and condiments that I usually treasure at home wafts through the streets, and at first I just know each other, and then gradually people who become unfamiliar with each other also start talking, mixed with bursts of cheerful laughter.

The vast majority of citizens are happy and relaxed, and the annual parade around the city is a day when they can open up and revel, on which people will wear their best clothes, and will generously take out all kinds of food that they are not usually willing to eat to share with others, and if anyone cooks a meal that has been well received, then it is a sign of good luck for the coming year.

All of this will make the Pisan people happy, not to mention that they do feel that their lives seem to be slowly changing.

This can be seen in the curious people in the streets, who are walking around the crowd of foreign merchants.

Pisa has been in a depression for a long time, whether it is the original Zaloni era or the later Republic era, although the rulers have changed, they have never been able to change the fate of Pisa's increasingly depressed fate.

One can clearly feel that the city is deserted, the cargo ships on the docks are becoming scarce, and some families have even had to leave women to work because of reduced incomes.

This was difficult for the Pisan people, who had been the overlords of the Tirenian seas, to regain the glory of Pisa as they longed for the legends they had heard from the elders about the prosperous times of Pisa.

But it is clear that all this is just a dream, the decline of Pisa seems to be doomed, and no one can change it all.

Then, the Count of Montina came.

It wasn't a long time, only a few months when you think about it, and even now, if you take it seriously, no one can tell you what actual benefits the count brought to Pisa.

But to the surprise and delight of the Pisa, it was the Count of Montina who gave them hope.

There were more merchant ships from Genoa in the north and more ports in the south, and although many of those merchant ships were not destined for Pisa, the gradual increase in foreign merchants was a sign of the excitement that Pisa would be.

Then there are some items that appear in the market that make pizza people feel that they are much cheaper than before.

Although many of these goods are just small items, it is these daily necessities that make housewives excited about the little money they have left.

The change was slow but palpable, and the Pisians at least had to pay more to buy and sell a piece of fabric from the hinterland vendors, or they could buy a good-looking clay pot for just over half the price, and they were happier that although they might have to sell some of their own at a cheaper price than before, they were able to sell more and more as time went on.

Some housewives have received small odd jobs from nearby workshops asking them to do odd jobs at home, and once they have agreed, they will come to their homes on time to buy the bits and pieces they make, from knitting or other bits and pieces, but seem to be able to sell them for a good price.

The lives of the people of Pisa have changed slightly, but people at least know that life doesn't seem to be as difficult as it used to be.

And for the average pizzan, that's enough.

Except for the aristocracy and the rich, no one cared who ruled Pisa, whether it was a monarchy or a parliamentary system, and the purpose of every riot was to make their lives better, and if they didn't, they would be disappointed.

The Zaloni family had been a disappointment, and the members of parliament had not brought much good, and now it was Tomneo, or the Count of Montina, who ruled Pisa, and now the change made the Pisa seem to see hope that they might be able to live a good life in the future.

The only thing that made the Pisians care was the soldiers who patrolled the streets.

Pisan people don't like foreign troops who wear strange uniforms and look arrogant.

Or rather, they're a little jealous.

Even the nobles and the rich wondered how the foreign armies were uncomfortably clean, and they could not understand how the Agri could have packed themselves so cleanly.

The dark red shirt and dark blue pants always looked like a freshly wiped helmet and a breastplate held in place by the large buttons on the jacket, and even though some of them had traces of battle on their breastplates, they were rarely able to find stains on them.

What's more, if you look closely, you can see that the cuffs of these soldiers are also very clean, unlike most people who are always dirty and stained.

Because of this, the Pisians always felt that the Agri looked at them with a kind of overlooking arrogance, even if they were just calmly passing through the crowd, but they habitually moved away slightly.

This was due to the instinctive fear of the army, but also to the fear that their clean clothes would be dirty.

Several Agri soldiers passed through the crowd, all of them from a village, the Agri were organized in farms and villages, and according to Alexander's intention, these typical villager ranks formed a whole army from small to large.

Squads, squadrons, battle brigades, the Agri often grit their teeth and persist in order to maintain their good reputation in the team and their family's homeland, even when they endured the kind of training that made them feel a hundred times more painful than farming and fighting in their homeland, and the terrible long march, this perseverance has sustained them to this point.

The soldiers looked calm, but they knew that people were watching them, which made them proud, especially the young women's gazes, which made them straighten their backs.

Perhaps it was a matter of habit, a few soldiers walked down the street with the drumbeat they had become accustomed to, but this appearance made the Pisan people feel indescribably strange when they saw it.

In the open window of a house, two men looked upstairs at the Agris soldiers who passed below, their eyes full of anger, and one of the young men clutched the scabbard of his sword at his waist, if he hadn't known that he couldn't be reckless, he might have rushed over and fought the intruders desperately.

"Don't be impulsive, we can't lose our lives for such a trivial matter." A voice came from behind two men, a man in a floor-mopping crimson robe, the same official who had proposed to Tomneo for a march, sitting in a chair not far from them.

"We have been preparing for so long, and we should also believe that the people of Pisa will be on our side, and they will shed their last drop of blood to overthrow the tyrant and the invading enemy."

"I would like to be the one who shed the first blood for Pisa," said the young man excitedly, Lord Treasurer, if I need to, I can now assassinate Tomneo or even the Count of Montina, and I can do everything to save my country. ”

What a naïve and impulsive age, the treasurer muttered to himself, but there was an admiring smile on his face.

"We all know your bravery, but now is not the time for my friend." The treasurer smiled, "When the parade really starts in the evening, it is a good time for us to act, knowing that it is the safest time whether it is successful or not, and we have to make sure that we are safe first, and then we can think about our plans." ”

"So what are you going to do, sir?" The young man couldn't wait to ask.

"There are people who are willing to help us, you must know that the ambition of that earl has caused some people to be dissatisfied, so it is normal to get some due help."

The treasurer waved his hand, and as the door opened, several people entered the room, these people were dressed in different ways, and if they mixed in with the crowd outside, they would obviously not be seen, the only difference was that they all wore masks on their faces.

"If we succeed, we can eradicate the tyrants and invaders, and if we fail, we can still blend into the crowd and escape, today is a rare day, believe me, for today's feat, I have been preparing for a long time," the originally calm financial officer showed a rare excitement on his face, "In order to gain Tomneo's trust, I did not hesitate to destroy my reputation and surrender to him, and I have worked hard for today's operation, I believe that we will succeed." ”

"But how do we get close to them?" Another man, who had been standing by the window with the young man before, asked, "Tomneo is cautious, and Count Montina has his huntsmen by his side." ”

"But they're going to take part in the procession, aren't they," the treasurer said, glancing at the masked men around him who had been silently speaking, "According to tradition, they have to receive the blessing of the martyred saints at the end of the procession, and that is the best time for us." ”

Seeing the two men suddenly realized and full of admiration, the treasurer had a smile on his face, and his eyes fell on one of the men.

"Then whether we succeed or not depends on your actions."

"Please don't forget the agreement between us." The man nodded.

The Treasurer nodded: "I will definitely keep my word, of course, if I can become the new Consul of Pisa after this, it will be more beneficial for both of us." ”

The other party groaned slightly, as if considering how to answer this rather obvious hint, and after a short while, he nodded slightly: "Please rest assured, we will give you the help you need at that time." ”

The treasurer nodded with some satisfaction, knowing that no concrete negotiations would be possible at such a time, but he was sure that once he had the pizza, those people would come to his aid.

Because the other party needs to get greater benefits from him.

"For the sake of pizza we need to pay a price," the treasurer looked at the two young men in front of him who seemed to be boiling with blood, "maybe there will be sacrifices, I wonder if you are ready." ”

"For pizza!" A young man whispered excitedly.

"For pizza!" Another young man echoed in the same way.

At noon, the grand procession began.

According to tradition, the procession begins at the Fili Market in the city of Pisa, a small plateau at the bend of the river that runs through the city, considered to be the last place of resistance when Pisa fell.

A carriage coated with sheep's blood slowly passed through the crowd, and a young girl was tied to a wooden pillar erected on the carriage.

This girl was selected from ordinary citizen families, and all the families who were chosen would think it was a very honorable thing, and over time some families even paid bribes to those who were in charge of the selection.

The carriage made a slow circle around the high ground and then stepped onto the stone-paved streets.

In the sun, the pisbians on the side of the road shouted incessantly, and according to custom, they threw white roses, which represented mercy and purity, into the carriage as a sign of admiration for the women who would rather die than suffer the humiliation of the Romans.

More and more people followed the carriage, people began to sing Pisa's characteristic folk songs, more and more flower petals filled the carriage, and the procession began to march along the streets of Pisa.

The singing, the petals, the food and the aromatic wine thrown along the way, the pisbians have fallen into a carnival, they seem to have completely forgotten why they are holding this parade, and the pursuit of joy that has been stimulated makes people forget their troubles and sorrows in this moment.

The procession kept walking, crossing streets and crossing several bridges across the river.

More and more people joined the procession, and people kept walking through the streets and alleys, and when the sky was getting darker, the pisbians lit torches.

The light of the fire stretched along the street, and the carriage began to move in the direction of the Duke's Palace.

A two-tiered wooden platform had been erected in the square in front of the Duke's Palace, and Tomneo and Alexander sat in the pergola, watching the procession approaching in the light of the fire.

"Earl, amnesty is a manifestation of our mercy, and I believe it is in the good of us all." Tomneo leaned over and whispered in Alexander's ear, "Believe me, the people on this pardon list can be fought for, and the pardon will make them grateful to us." ”

Alexander nodded slightly, not knowing whether he agreed with Tomneo's words, but a sneer crossed his face as he looked at the list handed over.

Alexander knows Tomneo's mind very well, in fact, it is not difficult to guess, as long as a dignified person is not willing to be someone else's puppet, Tomneo is eager to establish his prestige in Pisa, this is very clear to Alexander.

"Believe me, Duke, I will certainly consider your suggestion," said Alexander, smiling, "and in fact I was about to make a proposal to you, and I thought it might be a good idea to reinstate the council, at least in exchange for the Pisa's favor with us." ”

There was a moment of surprise on Tomno's face, he never expected Alexander to propose the re-establishment of the parliament.

This made his mind flash the shadow of the treasurer.

The Treasurer had great prestige in the previous Pisa Council, which is why Tomneo had to reuse him even after becoming a duke.

Hearing Alexander say that now, Tomneo couldn't help but have a shadow in his heart.

He did not want to be coerced by the treasurer again, which made him secretly regret the amnesty he had just proposed.

But before he could speak, Alexander had already stood up and looked at the approaching group.

"Duke, let's not talk about these things for now, let's meet the parade together."

Tomneo stood up helplessly: "No, it should be you who go to greet you, the honor of saving pizza tonight belongs to you." ”

According to the custom, when the carriage reached the end of the procession, a man who played the role of a knight would board the carriage and cut the rope with a sword that symbolized piety and salvation to save the girl who symbolized Pisa.

In the past, this role was often played by the highest governor of the city of Pisa, but today, everyone knows that this role will be assumed by Alexander.

The carriage had stopped in front of a carpeted platform, and Alexander walked slowly up the steps.

He held in his hand a sword that symbolized the liberation of the city, and when he ascended the wooden platform that was as high as the carriage, he first knelt down on one knee in prayer, as he had learned, and then with a gentle swing of his sword, he cut the silk clasp, which symbolized the chains.

"With the justice and courage that God has given me, I save this poor woman in front of me."

Alexander said as customary.

And the next moment, the woman who was standing calmly in front of him suddenly got up, and a cold light pierced the petals that were falling around, piercing Alexander's chest!